Danes Back in Damascus

FESTIVAL. Damascus, once again, invites new Danish cinema to their international festival, kicking off 7 November. While the Danish FILM-X studio was a learning ground for Damascan children producing their own film in conjunction with last year's festival, this year Danish producer Tivi Magnusson will instruct a Masterclass. Among the 11 feature films screening is Thomas Vinterberg's 'Submarino', selected for the Official Competition.

Some of Danish cinemas best works appear in the programme Danish Cinema Retrospective at the 18th Damascus International Film Festival (7-13 November), an event organized in cooperation with the DFI and the Danish Embassy in Damascus.

Submarino playing in the Official Competition

Thomas Vinterberg's critically acclaimed 'Submarino', winner of the prestigious Nordic Council Film Prize this autumn, will run in the Official Competition together with Jacques Audiard's 'The Prophet', Sofie Coppola's 'Somewhere', Michael Haneke's 'The White Ribbon' and Clint Eastwood's 'Torino'.

Tivi Magnusson—winner of three Oscars

Danish producer at M&M Productions, Tivi Magnusson, has no doubt hit a record, having had six films nominated for Hollywood's Academy Awards and bringing home three Oscars. Magnusson will lecture on how Denmark as a small nation has managed to become a model for survival in an industry dominated by global Hollywood. He will also share with his Damascan audience his experience as player in the market place of USA's renowned film city.

Last year at the time of the festival, Damascan children learnt how to make their own film with help from FILM-X, the Danish Film Institute's mobile interactive film studio. Read about this initiative that took place in Damascus in 2009: DFI's Film Studio for Children to Damascus / October 2009

Feature films

Some 11 feature films will screen in the retrospective programme:

A Family / Pernille Fischer Christensen / Zentropa
Above the Street Below the Water / Charlotte Sieling / Nimbus Film
Applause / Martin Pieter Zandvliet / Koncern Film
Camping / Jacob Bitsch / Nimbus Film
Everything Will Be Fine / Christoffer Boe / Alphaville Pictures Copenhagen
Headhunter / Rumle Hammerich / Nordisk Film
R / Michael Noer & Tobias Lindholm / Nordisk Film
Terribly Happy / Henrik Ruben Genz / Fine & Mellow
Therapy / Kenneth Kainz / Nordisk Film

together with past treasures:

Pelle Erobreren / Bille August / Per Holst Film
Dogville / Lars von Trier / Zentropa

Short films

Pernille Munk Skydsgaard, Head of Unit for Distribution & Promotion at the Danish Film Institute will participate as a member of Damascus' Short Jury Competition, in which these Danish films will be competing:

Beast / Lars p Arendt / Super8 and Picturewise Film
Berik / Daniel Joseph Borgmann / Zentropa
The New Tenants / Joachim Back / M & M Productions